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Sunday, May 12, 2013

A few years back I went on a frustrating search for a perfect sandy tan color nail polish. Everything I found was too brown or too yellow. I gave up eventually, sad and broken hearted. Then, I opted into a great deal on 3 butter LONDON polishes and found myself face to face with All Hail the Queen, my perfectly sandy beige polish.

All Hail the Queen is a rosey taupey sand color with a hint of pink iridescence and silver and pink micro sparkle.

Close up

One coat on the left, two coats on the right

This color is true to the bottle color and was opaque in two coats

Final Thoughts

I love this polish! The color was exactly what I was looking for, a beachy beige that was neither too brown or too yellow. The little hint of pink you catch as you move your fingers is very pretty and makes this polish a lot more interesting when you see it in person. The polish formula is smooth and easy to use. It is neither runny nor thick and you easily reach opacity with two coats.

The one issue I've had with butter LONDON polishes is their tendancy to flake around the tips after a few days of wear. I am very hard on my nails so maybe this isn't a fair test, however where some polishes chip, this one seems to flake. It is that tendency to flake that keeps me from buying more butter LONDON polishes. At the very least I will wait for a sale of some sort, because they do have quite a few shades I would love to try.

Last year I was turned on to the services of Anastasia, a brand synonymous with neatly groomed and shaped eye brows. Having suffered a few self inflicted eye brow tragedies, and a few I paid good money for, I was happy to find an eye brow service I could trust.

One of the first products I bought from Anastasia was a pack of eye brow stencils. My eye brow consultant helped me find my correct shape, High Arch, and after seeing it in action, it was a no brainer to pay the $20 for the stencil pack. As time passed, I wanted to enhance my eye brow wardrobe so I decided to pick up the Anastasia Beauty Express Kit for Brows and Eyes.

This kit has everything you need to style and groom your brows. It comes with cream brow shaping wax (top left pan) two shades of eye brow powder to fill in your brows (this kit is Brunette), and two neutral shadows (one matte, one shimmer) that can be used to highlight your brow bone. It also comes with 5 stencils for various brow shapes and a high quality angle brush to apply the powder/waxes to your brows.

The brush is made of dense synthetic fibers and can be used with the wax or the powders. I like to use this for the wax since it is stiffer, for the brow powder I use something slightly softer like a MAC 266. I think it gives a more natural line that won't require as much softening after the fact.

The Anastasia Beauty Express Kit comes with five eye brow stencils. Slim High Arch, Petite Arch, Medium Arch and Full Arch. You can mix and match stencil if needed to find your perfect shape.

Here is a before and after from my very first trip to Anastasia

Before

After

Final Thoughts

First, I can't recommend Anastasia's eye brow shaping services enough. I've paid decent money for some truly awful eye brows. The Anastasia artists work with your natural shape and fullness to give you the most flattering brows for your face and they show you everything and explain it so you can get the same results at home. I spend $30 every 6-8 weeks and it is well spent.

The Anastasia Beauty Express Kit is amazing for the price. It retails for $39.50 and contains over $100 worth of product in a kit that fits in the palm of your hand. The set of 5 stencils alone retails for $20. This is just an amazing value for your money and it will last you forever!

Currently looks as if this kit is offered in Blonde and Brunette. The kit pictured here is Brunette.

Where to Buy: Sephora or Nordstrom or your local Anastasia Counter.
Price: $39.50

Sunday, May 5, 2013

I have so many wonderful Essence top coats to share with you all! Their line of Special Effect Nail Toppers are a fun way to add some flair to your existing nail polish wardrobe. The first topper I tried way back when was Night in Vegas.

Night in Vegas is an iridescent flake top coat consisting of flakes suspended in a thick clear jelly base. These flakes flash from gold, to copper, to green depending on the way the light hits your nails.

Close up, you can see the flakes reflecting the light in the bottle

Night in Vegas over a bare nail.

Here is where this top coat comes to life. Here is one coat over Wet 'n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris. When used over a dark base this top coat shows it's inner fire.

Final Thoughts

Night in Vegas is simple, yet stunning. I've used this with a few simple tape manis and over the tips of a french manicure and it does a great job of adding visual interest to you nails. The formula is thick and can be a little tricky to work with. The key is to apply a thin coat over your base color. You don't need to hunt for flakes or apply multiple coats. One thin coat will give you great coverage and tons of flakes. Occasionally if I am tough on my nails, I get some chips around the tips, but nothing consistent. So far I'm up to 6-7 Essence top coats and I love every one.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

A few weeks ago I was approached about testing and reviewing the Spa Sonic Skin Care System. I had not heard much about the Spa Sonic Skin Care System prior to this contact, however it seemed like a product many would be interested in, so I enthusiastically agreed.

The Spa Sonic Skin Care System is described as a face and body polisher, that both cleans and exfoliates. It uses a variety of rotating heads to clean, buff, smooth and polish the softest and roughest parts of your body. The Spa Sonic Skin Care System is ready to go right out of the box.

This is what you get with the Spa Sonic Skin Care System. It comes with everything you need to get started, even the batteries!! You get the hand held wand, two small face brushes, one large body brush, one facial sponge and one pumice head.

The two small face brushes are compact and incredibly soft, softer then the Clarisonic senstive skin brush head I've been using. The bristles are more densely packed then the Clarisonic heads and are about 1/2 the size in total surface area.

Two unique features are the pumice and sponge heads. The pumice head is pretty smooth, still pumicey (made that word up) but not jagged like some of the cheap pumice you buy to scrub your feet. I was afraid of the pumice head after some aggressive pumiceing I did
years ago on my rough, Hobbit like feet. However, when used over shower
softened skin, I found it easily buffed away rough patches without
leaving my skin raw. It couldn't eat through all my calluses, but it
made a difference to be sure.

The sponge head feels like a dense cosmetic wedge sponge, with a cushiony feel. It is a microderm abrasion head designed to stimulate skin cells and improve skin elasticity. I will admit, do to some pre-exsisting skin concerns, I have not tried the microderm abrasion sponge head. But it seems intriguing and is pleasing to poke.

The body brush is about 4x the size of the small face brush. It is soft, but stiffer than the small face brushes. The texture and feel of this brush is similar to the Clarisonic brush heads, only the bristles on this head are are about double the length on the Clarisonic bristles. It does a nice job of cleaning and smoothing large areas of skin. I use this almost exclusively on my neck, chest and shoulders.

Here is a quick comparison photo of some Spa Sonic Heads and a Clarisonic head. These were all damp, hence the tissue paper back drop. Also, I smooshed the body brush head in a mesh bag so the dent there is my fault. You can see the Spa Sonic Small Face Brush on the left, the Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head in the middle and the Spa Sonic Body Brush on the right.

I think most people
looking at this product want to know if this is similar to a
Clarisonic. The answer is yes.....and no. The big difference between
the two products are the brush head mechanisms. The Clarisonic
vibrates, the Spa Sonic rotates. Here is a link to video posted by 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic showing the Clarisonic and the Spa Sonic side by side.

*Video by Christine at 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic

So
you can see when you view these two products side by side they function
quite differently. But does that effect how the product cleans and
exfoliates your skin? Not really, at least not in my opinion.

When I tested the Spa Sonic Skin Care System, I cleaned one half of my face with the Spa Sonic Skin Care System and I washed the other half with my Clarisonic Plus. I disregarded the usual timing feature of my Clarisonic and I used them exactly for the same length of time on each side.

When I clean my face with my Clarisonic it leaves it with a distinctly clean and smooth feel. It's unmistakable for me. So how did my skin feel after using the Spa Sonic? Exactly the same! After using both products I could not feel any difference between the two halves of my face.

Now, there are some distinct differences worth noting.

First, the rotating vs vibrating brush heads. While they seem to yield the same end result, the Spa Sonic rotating heads take getting used to. I was used to moving my Clarisonic across my skin in a circular motion. However, when I did this with the Spa Sonic the wand sort of wobbled and lurched across my skin. I had to learn to just glide it across my skin, not move it in circles.

The second difference are the brush head sizes. At first, I thought the smaller brush head was going to be a drawback, however, it turned into a big plus in my book. One of my problem areas is my nose. The skin is flaky, prone to black heads and redness and using the Clarisonic on my nose has been comical. I have to stick one finger up my nose and wiggle my nostril around to fit the Clarisonic in the relevant crannies. I hate that! However, the smaller and softer brush heads fit around my nose perfectly! The fact that the head rotates just makes it that much easier.

The third difference worth noting is the absence of a base or brush cover. This is one thing I wish the Spa Sonic had. I like to keep my skin care systems in the shower, but I wont do that without a brush cover. Right now, I keep my spa sonic in a mesh bag that hangs on the outside of my shower door. It works, but it is not my ideal since it can smoosh the brush heads. I could find other storage alternatives, but hey, I'm lazy.

The last and perhaps biggest difference is the price. You can find the complete Spa Sonic Skin Care System at retailers like Target for about $60. Replacement heads cost about $10-$11 dollars for two! A single Clarisonic replacement head will run your $25 I haven't used the Spa Sonic Skin Care System long enough to tell you how long a brush head lasts, but I can tell you my Clarisonic has fell silent for months at a time because I could not bring myself to cough up $25 for a replacement head.

Final Thoughts

The Spa Sonic Skin Care System has a lot going for it. First, it has a very comfortable price point. It retails for about $60-$70 (varies by retailer) compared to $120 for an intro Clarisonic Mia. Both the Spa Sonic and Clarisonic Mia offer a single speed wand that cleans and exfoliates. With The Spa Sonic Skin Care System, you also get 3 additional, unique brush heads. The Spa Sonic wand isn't quite as sturdy as the Clarisonic, but I threw it on the floor once by accident and I found it handled the impact quite well. The rotating head mechanism, likewise does not feel quite as solid as the Clarisonic, but the product cleaned my face identically and in the case of my nose, more easily then the Clarisonic.

I think if you are in the market for a skin care cleaning system and the Clarisonic is giving you some sticker shock, then you should check out the Spa Sonic Skin Care System. It does what it says it will do, they make a variety of brush heads, half of which Clarisonic does not offer and does it for half the price. It also comes in a variety of colors and can be purchased from several major retailers including Target, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS.

Where to buy: Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and other large retailers
Price: $60-$70 depending on the retailer.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Popping in for a quick rave post! I wish I had the energy to be more detailed, but we are busy with school stuff and spring colds. However, the Essence Cosmetics Long Lasting Eye Pencils are something everyone needs!

Essence Cosmetics has several different types of eyeliners: sharp-enable pencils, markers and these beauties which are self advancing, no sharpener needed...my favorites!!

The formula of the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencils is soft and very easy to use. They aren't dry feeling, nor do they tug or pull as you apply. They feel amazing! They very much reminded me of the texture and consistency of an Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil.

The two colors I bought were Hot Chocolate, a dark rich matte chocolate brown and Bling Bling, a shimmering golden copper.

Final Thoughts

These liners aren't just good for a budget brand, they are good period. I used MAC Technakohl in Photograuve for years and honestly the texture and payoff of the Essence is just remarkably better...by a wide margin. And you are paying $2.49 compared to $19.50. I find these to be very long lasting. They look essentially unchanged at the end of the day. I get a little minor fading under the eye, but that's normal for me and no worse then any other eye liner I've used. Essence Cosmetics Long Lasting Eye Pencils are currently available in 8 shades. I plan to go back and buy them all.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Quite a while ago, I got in on a really great deal on 3 bottles of Butter London Nail Lacquer. This was my first foray into the Butter brand and I was really excited to try them out. I'll admit, when I received the package, I was bummed out when I saw Knackered. I felt like I already had 4 of this same color, but I was about to be surprised.

Butter London Knackered is described as "a sheer, twinkling oyster shade flecked with micro glitter particles"

In the bottle I'd say this reminds me more of abalone, then oyster. It is a duochrome that swirls with blues, greens and violets with tiny bits of multi-color glitter.

One coat on the left, two coats on the right. On their own, over a naked nail, the color is almost imperceptible. But when you layer this over black?????......

SNAP! All of a sudden this color comes to life. It shifts strongly between violet, blue and green.

You can see how when the nail is turned, the green starts to take over and the violet becomes far more subtle. It is a truly beautiful effect. What sets this apart from some other sheer duochromes is the micro glitter throughout. While it looks a bit coarse here, the effect is quite smooth and looks a bit like stars, especially when layered over a black base. It's like a galaxy mani in a bottle.

Final Thoughts

I like the color, I love the glitter effect, but the verdict is still out on the formula. I've only tested a few, but I've noticed a tendency for their glitter polishes to flake and chip around the edges. Butter London Knackered is not as a big flaker as some, since you can use so little of it when applying over another base. For the $15 price tag, I wish I was more sold on the formula and the uniqueness of the color. I do think if there was a reasonable sale, I would try more. They have some colors that look achingly beautiful. Dosh anyone?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Ever since I I started following beauty blogs a few years ago, I've seen Reviva Labs reviews and heard raves about their products. A few months ago, I was given the exciting opportunity to use and review a few Reviva Labs products. One area I specifically wanted to target was tired, dull looking skin. Cause face it, none of us are getting any younger. The wonderful people at Reviva Labs suggested I try the Non-Chemical Light Skin Peel.

This product was provided for me to review, all opinions are my own.

From the Reviva Labs website: "Peeling" is a European term for one of the most
unique European items in the entire cosmetic field. THIS IS NOT A
HARSH CHEMICAL PEEL. It doesn't "peel skin" as we know it, but gently
lifts off more hardened, dried skin cells than can be achieved by scrubs
or any other "exfoliating" product.

I am only 38, but I've started to see big changes in my skin. My complexion is uneven, dull and looks lifeless. I've also noticed an increase in milia across my cheeks. One of the least invasive ways to remove milia is to let them naturally exfoliate themselves as your skin sloughs off and is renewed. So you can see where a peel that helps accelerate that process would intrigue me.

One thing that strikes me about all the Reviva Lab products are their unique textures. Take the Non-Chemical Light Skin Peel, I've been struggling for days with just how to describe this product. In the jar, the product looks like a beige cold cream with some small bits of crushed almonds (it does not say shells and it doesn't feel like hard shells) and some small black flakes. However, when you touch the product it changes

The texture and consistency is so cool, I really can't stop playing with it. It is hard to describe, imagine you mixed a cold cream, a scrub, and the glow in the dark slime we all loved as kids, minus the glow of course. It's not sticky, rather it is very elastic. You can see in the image above how elastic the product is. It has a fairly strong smell. It would appear this comes from the Oil of Thyme listed on the ingredients. It has an ever so subtle mediciney smell underneath the Thyme, but nothing overpowering. I would describe it as an herbal astringent scent. I quite like it myself.

The directions state you should apply a light coat over the face and let
dry 3-5 mins. The product applies quickly and easily and you have a
few seconds to spread it out before it dries down. There is a pleasant cooling/tingling sensation as it dries. After 3 mins you
will be amazed how much this tightens your skin...I mean crazy tight.
My son asked me a question and I could barely open my mouth enough to
form words. I think it actually kind of freaked him out. However, at
no point did the peel crack or crease. That was a huge plus as any sort
of mask usually bugs the hell out of me as it dries.

Per Reviva Labs, you can remove this product a few different ways: rub it off with your fingers, a dry wash cloth or a cosmetics sponge. I tried them all and I recommend the finger method. Dry wash cloths were too rough and abrasive for my skin, wet ones melted the peel and negated the exfoliating properties. Cosmetics sponges were too small and I struggled to get the product off. Fingers were perfect. The mask balls up easily and the bits of almond gently exfoliate as you go. The almond pieces are not jagged so they don't feel like they are tearing you up as you remove the product.

I found it is pretty easy to peel this product off your skin, even though you want to manually exfoliate. When I was a child I used to be obsessed with putting Elmer's Glue on my palms and then letting it dry so I could peel it off, like a second skin. That is exactly what this felt like after it dried. OMG, I wanted to peel it off so bad, major grade school flashbacks. Might need to make a run for some Elmer's Glue. Once the peel is completely removed I did not notice any sort of residue, film or greasiness on my skin. My skin felt soft and clean.

So does it work? Yes, it totally does! After using the Reviva Labs Non-Chemical Light Skin Peel once weekly as suggested my skin feels softer, tighter and brighter and I don't have as much flakey skin around my nose and mouth. After a few uses I've also noticed some diminished pore size on my cheeks. I haven't used it long enough to see if it will improve my milia, but given the results I've seen thus far, I think it will.

Final Thoughts

This is a product I would buy again. I've been very pleased with the products I've tried and I plan to buy some of Reviva Labs other skin care products as well. I am consistently struck with how unique their products are, sometimes in ways that aren't obvious or easy to articulate. They have a staggering catalog of products for all sort of skin care concerns. You are sure to find something to get excited about.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Finding Hard Candy Nail Polishes has been tougher then finding proof of Bigfoot. I have access to several retailers that sell Hard Candy and every single one looks like it was on the wrong end of the beauty apocalypse. So, when I finally stumbled upon a nearly intact display, I pretty much cookie monstered my way through the entire thing. One of my must have polishes was Hard Candy Crushed Chromes: Crush on Lava.

Hard Candy Crushed Chromes:Crush on Lava is a charcoal based fiery polish with color shifting properties. It shifts between shades of wine, greens and golds. It is a lively and interesting color.

Close up (even looks amazing in the bottle)

One coat on the left, two coats on the right

One single coats imparts little more then glitter, two coats gives you more depth and color accuracy, but still has translucent coverage

However, layer this polish over a black base and you really see what this beauty can do. This shows 1 coat over the top of Wet 'n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris.

Final Thoughts

My collection is shockingly light on duochrome type polishes, so this was a nice addition. The formula of this polish is pretty thin, however since this is best used layered over a dark base, the thinness is a good thing. It also means this polish is only as good as the base color you use. I experienced no chipping of this polish. It grabs that base color and doesn't let go. One coat is all you need to get the fiery effect.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

I'll start by admitting that I've totally sucked about updates this week. My kids started off the week sick, then I got sick, now we are about to be knee deep in bark dust, so this weekend looks full as well. However, I am trying to get a few posts on deck and I thought I would start with 4 gorgeous shadows from Meow Cosmetics.

The four shadows I'm reviewing are from the Egyptian Treasures: Eye of Horus collection. Eye of Horus is a collection of rich metallic finished shadows. Meow Cosmetics has quickly become a huge favorite of mine. Their colors are beautifully pigmented and surprisingly complex. Take a look!

Obelisk

Obelisk is a rich gold layered over a charcoal base, making a complex metallic golden olive

Asp

Asp is a rich metallic antique gold

Ancient

Ancientis a orange over a charcoal base which turns it into a metallic russet

Pyramid

Pyramid is a metallic coppery burnt orange

Final Thoughts

Although I am not the world's biggest fan of metallic finishes, I really like these shadows. Pyramid is the knockout shade. It is lush, velvety and looks killer on the outer corner of your eye. If you like to get your metallic on then I would grab up some samples of the Egyptian Treasures: Eye of Horus collection.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

I am back from oblivion! I have no big revelations about my absence, I
was just tired and suffering from a huge lack of motivation. I pretty
much frumped around all week in my Big Lebowski robe. I did however
attend my very first women's roller derby match last night and it helped
me regain a spark of energy. I figure I will ease myself back into the flow with Essence Cosmetics More to Love Lipstick.

If you've never tried an Essence lipstick, they are really quite nice. They go on medium opaque, with a glossy finish and pleasant fruity scent. I've loved every shade I've tried. And with a $2.49 price tag, you can afford to take a risk.

More to Love is a sheer berry pink with raspberry grainy sparkles.

I say grainy, because I am not sure else how else to describe the "sparkle" in this shade. It looks pinky silver in the bullet, but on the lips leaves like little micro grains of raspberry sand. Is that clear at all? It's not as noticeable in person, but you can really see it in the images. It does not really feel gritty on the lips, but I get a feeling these sparkles may have worked better in a creamier, more opaque formula.

Final Thoughts

More to Love is not exactly what I expected from an Essence Cosmetics Lipstick. It is definitely more sheer then the other shades I've tried. It is a "my lips but better" shade that I think would be flattering on most people. I did end up liking the "sparkle". I think it gives the color a little kick and keeps it from looking like every other sheer berry lip butter on the market. The wear time isn't much, maybe 2 hours, but with a glossy, sheer shade, that is what I would expect. I did not experience bleeding or migration and it did not dry out my lips. If you like Essence Cosmetics lipsticks, More to Love won't lead you astray.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

In honor is tonight's return of Dr. Who, I thought I would do a review of a few shadows from the Geek Chic Cosmetics Timey Wimey Collection. For non Whovians, allow me to explain how this time thing works.

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to
effect... but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint,
it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff"

It also provides the basis for some totally kick ass eye shadows! Now if I could convince my husband to let me paint the door leading from our kitchen to the garage to look like the TARDIS. Then I could open it and tell everyone "It's bigger on the inside" Come on..how awesome would that be!?

S*xy In Suspenders

S*xy in Suspenders is a light silvery pink with a blue sheen and blue sparkles

Bigger on the Inside

Bigger on the Inside is a dark colonial blue with a gold overlay and gold sparkles. It's hard to describe the effect, it's not green, it's more of a swirling of gold and blue. Kinda like a time vortex.

Bad Wolf

Bad Wolf is a medium violet with golden shimmer and gold sparkle

We Are Coming

We Are Coming is a very complex dark brown with a golden, copper shimmer and red and blue sparkles

Final Thoughts

More winners from the gang over at Geek Chic Cosmetics. We Are Coming, which I reviewed once before, is in my top five shadows of all time. The complexity and beauty of this color can not be overstated. Bad Wolf is a very nice midtone purple that doesn't pull blue or red. I love it as a crease color or brushed over a cream eyeliner. Sexy in Suspenders is a great highlight color for cooler skintones and also works well to brighten up the inner corner of your eye. You could also wear this on your cheeks and give yourself an ethereal glow. The only sketchy color was Bigger on the Inside. When it works it is stunning, but the golden shimmer has a tendency to separate from the blue base. 1/2 the time I get the color pictured above, the other 1/2 I get the blue base with a weird patchy golden halo. I have a few shadows that give me the same effect (usually a gold over a green base) and I will say Bigger on the Inside gives me less trouble then all the others. Just take care when applying.

Where to buy: Geek Chic Cosmetics
Price: Samples $1.25 in a plastic clamshell or Full Sized $5.99 in a 5 gram jar

My question to you... who is your favorite Dr and Companion? You can mix and match!

For me, I never thought I'd say it, because 10 (David Tennant) was iconic and brilliant, but I think 11(Matt Smith) is my favorite. There is a weariness to him that compels me, no small feat since he is also the youngest actor to play the Dr; and boy did he have some big shoes to fill. He also pulls off the Dr's quirks and danger without making him as unstable as 10 was.

Favorite companion? No contest, Donna Noble! All the fun and emotion with zero romantic drama. Katherine Tate's chemistry with David Tennant was electric. That pairing ended much to soon in my opinion.